We started our tour from Spruces and headed towards Murdock Peak via Mill D North Fork, powder park 1, and the Park City ridgeline. The weather at the trailhead was relatively warm - 28°F - with no precipitation, no wind, and cloudy skies (OVC). Snowfall rates increased steadily throughout the day peaking around one inch (2 cm) an hour (S2) sporadically. Westerly winds dominated the exposed ridgelines. Below ridgeline, in addition to westerly winds, there were northwesterly and easterly winds in certain areas at times.

Travel along the Park City ridgeline / Wasatch Crest Trail went relatively smooth. Winds were in the 20-30 mph range and certain areas along the ridge were either wind scoured or contained large cornices. Wind transport and wind loading were obvious characteristics of this zone above 8,800', especially along exposed areas. We observed a D2/R3 avalanche along a northeast aspect along Sheep Shit Ridge (SS-N-D2/R3-I). Please see the separate avalanche observation for additional information.

We dug a test pit above the Head of Millcreek run on a northwest facing aspect at 9,300'. Height of snow (HS) was 173 cm. There were multiple weak layers present in this pit at approximately 125 cm, 105 cm, and 0-50 cm. The 0-50 cm layer is our early season persistent weak layer. This layer seems to be healing with rounding with 4F+/1F- rounding facets. The 105 cm and 125 cm are weak, faceted layers from high-pressure systems in late January/early February. Surprisingly, our extended column test had no result (ECTX). Additional loading steps also yielded no result.

We skied Head of Millcreek - which had great low-angle powder - and headed up a south facing line in the South Murdock Bowl zone. Interestingly, two of our hand pits in this area had easy results (Hand-Easy) - failing upon isolation - at the old/new interface approximately 35-40 cm down from the surface. We continued our ascent up to the ridgeline, where we discovered that a small portion of a cornice at the top (south) had collapsed within the last day or so. We skied this south face - also a great run - and made our way back to the trailhead.

Key Takeaways:

- Spatial Variability: We expected to see a result during our ECT on a NW facing aspect and relatively more "stability" in the South Murdock Bowl zone. Our obeservations were the complete opposite, which speaks to the spatial variability of our snowpack. It is a good reminder that our (Nate and Dave's) forecast along with UAC are generalizations and need to be balanced with observations in the field.

- Complexity: Along the lines of spatial variability, our snowpack is very complex. Some areas are dealing with multiple problems - e.g., PWL, wind slab, storm slab - all at once. This areas may not always align with your own forecast and ideas on where the problem "is" or "isn't." It is another reminder that, for us (Nate and Dave), conservative decision-making is key right now.

These key takeaways are our own musings, but sharing these lessons with others may be helpful! Enjoy all of the new snow!!